The sense of hearing in human beings involves the use of hair cells in the cochlea that convert or transduce audio signals into auditory nerve impulses. Hearing loss, which may be due to many different causes, is generally of two types: conductive and sensorineural. Conductive hearing loss occurs when the normal mechanical pathways for sound to reach the hair cells in the cochlea are impeded. These sound pathways may be impeded, for example, by damage to the auditory ossicles. Conductive hearing loss may often be overcome through the use of conventional hearing aids that amplify sound so that audio signals can reach the hair cells within the cochlea. Some types of conductive hearing loss may also be treated by surgical procedures.
Sensorineural hearing loss, on the other hand, is caused by the absence or destruction of the hair cells in the cochlea which are needed to transduce audio signals into auditory nerve impulses. People who suffer from sensorineural hearing loss are unable to derive any benefit from conventional hearing aid systems.
To overcome sensorineural hearing loss, numerous cochlear implant systems—or cochlear prosthesis—have been developed. Cochlear implant systems bypass the hair cells in the cochlea by presenting electrical stimulation directly to the auditory nerve fibers. Direct stimulation of the auditory nerve fibers leads to the perception of sound in the brain and at least partial restoration of hearing function.
To facilitate direct stimulation of the auditory nerve fibers, an array of electrodes may be implanted in the cochlea. The electrodes form a number of stimulation channels through which electrical stimulation pulses may be applied directly to auditory nerves within the cochlea. An audio signal may then be presented to a patient by translating the audio signal into a number of electrical stimulation pulses and applying the stimulation pulses directly to auditory nerves within the cochlea via one or more of the electrodes.
When a cochlear implant system is initially implanted in a patient, and during follow-up tests and checkups thereafter, it is usually necessary to fit the cochlear implant system to the patient. Such “fitting” includes adjustment of a variety of control parameters governing the operation of the cochlear implant system to values that are most effective and comfortable for the patient. However, because there could be hundreds of such control parameters to adjust, fitting procedures can be complex, arduous, and costly. Moreover, because a clinician cannot realistically simulate all of the listening situations that the patient may experience, the patient may require several trips to a fitting clinic to obtain a satisfactory result.